1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a couple of connectors with a connector-coupling lever, more particularly to a method and an assembly for easily mounting a connector-coupling lever in the connector housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 8, a female connector housing D has a rotation shaft 25, and a guiding cut-out portion 26 for guiding a corresponding male connector (not shown). One side of the connector housing D has a supporting shaft 28 for a spring, a provisionally locking protrusion 29 for the spring, a spring receiving channel 30 in a substantially circular arc shape, a lower supporting portion 30a and an upper supporting portion 31 that are provided upward from the spring receiving channel 30, and a recess 32 for receiving the spring E.
The spring E, as shown in FIG. 8, has spring windings 34 in the middle, a resilient portion 35a corresponding to a connector-coupling lever at one end, and a resilient portion 36a corresponding to the connector housing at the other end. Further, each tip of the both resilient portions respectively has a locking end 35b corresponding to the connector-coupling lever or a locking end 36b corresponding to the connector housing.
The connector-coupling lever F, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, has each of side arms 38, 38' at each side of the lever. Each of the side arms 38, 38' has a shaft bearing hole 39 and a cam guiding channel 40. The cam guiding channel 40 pulls the male connector housing along the guiding cut-out portion 26 in accordance with the turn of the lever F. The left side arm 38 has, inside of it, a guide channel 41 by which the resilient portion 35a can easily move in accordance with the expansion or the contraction of the spring E, and a protection wall 42 that prevents the resilient portion 35a from falling off out of the guide channel 41. The guide channel 41 has a locking protrusion 43 corresponding to the locking end 35b. Further, a protrusion 44 for releasing a provisional locking of the spring E is provided so as to extend from and to locate in the middle of the protection wall 42.
The connector-coupling lever F is mounted, with the spring E, in the housing D in accordance with the following process.
At first, as shown in FIG. 8, the locking end 36b is inserted into the recess 32; the resilient portion 36a is positioned between the upper supporting portion 31 and the lower supporting portion 30a; and the spring windings 34 engages with a supporting shaft 28 so that the periphery of the spring windings 34 is positioned along the spring receiving channel 30. At this initial step, the locking end 35b of the resilient portion 35a is yet not locked.
Next, the locking end 35b engages with the provisionally locking protrusion 29 by the resilient force of the spring E against an added external force. In this step, the resilient portion 36a and the locking end 36b have kept the same state as the previous step.
Then, as shown in FIG. 9, as keeping the state that the locking end 35b engages with the provisionally locking protrusion 29, the shaft bearing hole 39 in the left side arm 38' engages with the turn shaft 28 of the housing D; then, the shaft bearing hole 39 in the right side arm 38 engages with a turn shaft 28; and the coupling lever is positioned to be upright. In this step, the coupling lever F has not yet received the resilient force of the spring E, because the locking end 35b has engaged with the provisionally locking protrusion 29.
At last, the coupling lever F turns from the upright position to the substantially horizontal position in the direction of the arrow P shown in FIG. 9, by providing an external force. Thereby, a releasing end 44a in the protrusion 44 for releasing a provisional locking of the spring E pushes the resilient portion 35a to raise it upward. Consequently, the locking end 35b is released from the provisionally locking protrusion 29 for the spring by the resilient force of the spring E. At the same time, the resilient portion 35a abuts the guide channel 41 and the locking end 35b engages with a locking protrusion 43 for the spring.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional mounting method and assembly thereof, when the spring engaged with the provisionally locking protrusion is released to engage with the coupling lever, the coupling lever attached to the turning shaft must be moved backward by providing with an external forced on the coupling lever. Therefore, it has needed an additional time and further works that the coupling lever is mounted in the connector housing with a spring.